Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 active in the biostimulation of agricultural production

ABSTRACT

Streptomyces spp. NCIMB 40227 has been identified as a new microorganism of the Streptomyces genus. Additionally, it has been found that the new microorganism is useful in the treatment of agrarian cultivations to increase plant growth and plant production.

This is a divisional of co-pending application Ser. No. 08/103,166, filed Aug. 6, 1993, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/683,644, filed on Apr. 11, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,578.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a microorganism of Streptomyces genus, identified as <<NCIMB 40227>>, and to its use in the agrarian field to stimulate the growth and production of plants.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The microorganisms of Streptomyces genus find their primary growth and diffusion habitat in soil in which, together with other microorganisms, such as funguses and bacteria, they usually perform metabolic functions of degradation of the organic substances present in soil.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present Applicant has found now a strain of Streptomyces having certain morphological, biochemical and physiologic characteristics, identified as <<NCIMB 40227 >>, which, when added to the soil on which plants are grown or used as a seed dressing, or anyway put into contact with the roots of the plants, unexpectedly produces an improvement in plant vegetative growth and production.

Therefore an object of the present invention is a method for treating the agrarian cultivations to stimulate the germination of the seeds, the growth and the production of the plants, which method consists in treating the seeds, the roots or the soil on which the plants grow, with Streptomyces NCIMB 40227, as spores or cells of vegetative mycelium, either as such, or as suitable compositions.

A further object of the present invention is Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 as such or a biologically pure culture thereof.

The morphological, biochemical and physiological characteristics determined on Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 made possible for it to be distinguished from previously known strains of Streptomyces.

Morphology and Biochemical Characteristics of Streptomyces <NCIMB 40227 >

Streptomyces NICMB 40227 was isolated from camellia roots and recorded for internal laboratory use with the conventional code S 57. The isolation was carried out on agarized Williams' medium and was rendered selective by the addition of 50 mg/liter of nystatin and cycloheximide. A culture of this microorganism was deposited on Nov. 14, 1989, in compliance with the Budapest, Treaty with the National Collection of Industrial Bacteria (c/o the National Collection of Industrial and Marine Bacteria Ltd., Torry Research Station, P.O. Box 31, Abby Road, Aberdeen AB 98 DG, Scotland, U.K.), where it was given the accession number NCIMB 40227.

Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 can be maintained on common media, such as, e.g., on Potato Dextrose Agar medium at 25°-28° C., and can be propagated by techniques per se known by those skilled in the art.

The taxonomic characterization of strain NCIMB 40227 was determined on the basis of morphological and biochemical characteristics: in Table I, the chart of sensitivity of Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 to the antibiotics is reported. The data reported in Table I were obtained by using the Sensi-Disc by BBL (Becton Dickinson Microbiology Systems).

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                         ANTIBIOTIC     DOSIS (μg)                                                                             RESPONSE (*)                                         ______________________________________                                         Nalidixic acid 30         -                                                    Ampicillin     10         +                                                    Bacitracin     10         +                                                    Cefaloridin    30         +                                                    Chloramphenicol                                                                               30         +                                                    Chlorotetracycline                                                                            30         +++                                                  Erythromycin   15         +++                                                  Fosfomycin     50         -                                                    Gentamycin     10         ++                                                   Kanamycin      30         +++                                                  Lincomycin      2         -                                                    Neomycin       30         ++                                                   Novobiocin     30         +++                                                  Oleandomycin   15         +                                                    Oxytetracycline                                                                               30         ++                                                   Penicillin G   10         +                                                    Rifamycin      30         +++                                                  Rifampicin     30         +++                                                  Streptomycin   10         ++                                                   Tetracycline   30         ++                                                   Tobramycin     10         +++                                                  Vancomycin     30         ++                                                   ______________________________________                                          (*)                                                                            - means absence of inhibition halo                                             + means inhibition halo within the range of from 6 to 10 mm                    ++ means inhibition halo comprised within the range of from 11 to 20 mm        +++ means inhibition halo larger than 21 mm                              

In Table 2, the characteristics of Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 are reported, which were determined according to the method as described by Williams S. T., Goodfellow M. and Alderson G. (Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, 1989). These characteristics are compared to the percent frequencies of positive members in the two closest taxonomic groups.

                                      TABLE 2                                      __________________________________________________________________________                                  PERCENTAGE IN THE                                                   VALUE IN NCIMB                                                                            TAXONOMIC GROUP: (*)                              CHARACTER         40227      S. rochei                                                                             S. anulatus                                __________________________________________________________________________     Rectiflex. spore chains                                                                          +           4    90                                          Spirales spore chains                                                                            -          64    38                                          Red spores        +           7     5                                          Grey spores       -          77     3                                          Orange-red coloured back                                                                         +           8     1                                          Pigment production                                                                               +           4    11                                          Yellow-brown pigment                                                                             -           4    11                                          production                                                                     Melanine production on M6                                                                        -           4    13                                          Melanine production on M7                                                                        -           1    27                                          ANTIBIOTIC ACTION AGAINST:                                                     B. subtilis       -          35    50                                          M. luteus         -          35    71                                          C. albicans       +          19    21                                          S. cerevisiae     +          15    13                                          S. murinus        -          39    61                                          A. niger          +          27    32                                          Lecithinasic activity                                                                            -           4     3                                          Lipolysis         +          73    99                                          Pectin hydrolysis +          42    53                                          Nitrate reduction +          27    79                                          H.sub.2 S production                                                                             +          92    90                                          Hippurate hydrolysis                                                                             -           9    13                                          DEGRADATION OF:                                                                Elastin           +          50    87                                          Xanthine          +          96    95                                          Arbutin           +          96    99                                          RESISTANCE TO:                                                                 Penicillin G      -          92    74                                          Oleandomycin      -          46    84                                          Neomycin          -           8     1                                          Rifampicin        -          89    66                                          Growth at 45° C.                                                                          +          77     5                                          GROWTH WITH:                                                                   NaCl (7%)         +          92    74                                          Sodium-azide (0.01%)                                                                             +          62    32                                          Phenol (0.1%)     +          96    92                                          K tellurite (0.001%)                                                                             +          73    87                                          Thallium acetate (0.001%)                                                                        +          54    87                                          USE OF:                                                                        DL-aminobutyric acid                                                                             -          12    37                                          L-Cysteine        +          50    61                                          L-valine          +          15    37                                          L-phenylalanine   +          46    61                                          L-histidine       +          77    74                                          L-hydroxyproline  +           8    37                                          Saccharose        +          81    26                                          Mesoinositol      +          96    32                                          Mannitol          +          99    99                                          L-Rhamnose        +          96    82                                          Raffinose         +          69    18                                          D-melezitose      +          81    71                                          Adonitol          -          35    66                                          D-melibiose       +          96    32                                          Dextran           +          89    76                                          Xylitol           +          46    21                                          __________________________________________________________________________      (*) Percent frequency of positive members inside the taxonomic group, dat      reported by Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology.               

In Table 3, the processing of the data of Table 2 by the MATIDEN program (Sneat P.H.A. Computer and Geoscience 1979) is reported. The first section of Table 3 shows the statistic coefficients which indicate the correlation between Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 and the two taxonomic groups which are the closest to it. The second section of Table 3 reports the characteristics which are not shared by Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 and said two groups.

                  TABLE 3                                                          ______________________________________                                         TAXO-    WILLCOX      TAXONOMIC   STANDARD                                     NOMIC    PROBABILITY  DISTANCE    ERROR                                        GROUP    COEFFICIENT  (D)         OF (D)                                       ______________________________________                                         S. rochei                                                                               0.86         0.51        4.08                                         S. anulatus                                                                             0.13         0.53        3.90                                         ______________________________________                                                       PERCENTAGE      VALUE IN                                                       IN THE          NCIMB                                            CHARACTER     TAXONOMIC GROUP 40227                                            ______________________________________                                         CONTRARY CHARACTERISTICS TO S. ROCHEI                                          Rectiflex. spore chains                                                                       4              +                                                Red spores     7              +                                                Grey spores   77              -                                                Orange-red coloured                                                                           8              +                                                back                                                                           Pigment production                                                                            4              +                                                RESISTANCE TO:                                                                 Penicillin G  92              -                                                Rifampicin    89              -                                                ANTIBIOTIC                                                                     ACTION AGAINST:                                                                C. albicans   19              +                                                S. cerevisiae 15              +                                                USE OF:                                                                        L-valine      15              +                                                L-hydroxyproline                                                                              8              +                                                CONTRARY CHARACTERISTICS TO S. ANULATUS                                        Red spores     5              +                                                Orange-red coloured                                                                           1              +                                                back                                                                           Pigment production                                                                           11              +                                                ANTIBIOTIC                                                                     ACTION AGAINST:                                                                C. albicans   21              +                                                S. cerevisiae 13              +                                                Growth at 45° C.:                                                                      5              +                                                USE OF:                                                                        Raffinose     18              +                                                Xylitol       21              +                                                 RESISTANCE TO:                                                                Oleandomycin  84              -                                                ______________________________________                                    

From the analysis of the above data, one may conclude than NCIMB 40227 strain cannot be unequivocally identified with any of the Streptomycetes described in the last edition of Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology: the taxonomic group of S. rochei is the closest to the description of NCIMB 40227, from which it anyway distinguishes itself due to eleven characteristics generating, in the processing by MATIDEN, a an insignificant probability coefficient. Therefore, the conclusion is that NCIMB 40227 be regarded as a new taxonomic species close to S. rochei cluster. By <<taxonomic species>>, a single organism, or a group of organisms with an extremely high mutual similarity, i.e., with a high similarity index according to the principles of the numerical taxonomy, are meant herein, (U. Mazzucchi, "Elements of Phytopathological Bacteriology" volume 1, page 116].

Cultural Characteristics and Spore Collection

The spores of NCIMB 40227 are obtained by inoculating a liquid culture of the microorganism to Petri dishes containing a suitable agarized medium. Spores or vegetative mycelium of the strain in question are used to inoculate a liquid broth suitable for the growth of Actinomycetes.

After a 3-day growth at 28° C. on a rotary shaker continuously revolving at 180 rpm, 0.5 ml of liquid culture is used to inoculate the culture medium contained inside Petri dishes of 12 cm of diameter, each containing 50 ml of agarized medium, such as, e.g., Potato Dextrose Agar, or a medium denominated <<PM8>>, having the following composition:

    ______________________________________                                         Starch                  20    g/l                                              Glucose                 10    g/l                                              Calcium carbonate       3     g/l                                              Proflo (cotton seed meal)                                                                              2     g/l                                              Hydrolyzed casein       2     g/l                                              Yeast extract           2     g/l                                              Meat extract            2     g/l                                              Agar                    15    g/l                                              ______________________________________                                    

Before the media is sterilized at 120° C. for 15 minutes, the pH value is adjusted to 7.

The dishes are stored at 28° C. for 5-10 days until a sporulation diffused throughout the dish surface takes place.

The spores are recovered by either a wet procedure, or a dry procedure. In the first case, 10 ml of water containing 0.01% surfactant (Tween 80, or a similar one), previously sterilized, is distributed on the medium. The spores are suspended by slightly scraping the surface of the Petri-dish with a large-tip pipette and the suspension is filtered on sterile gauze. When the recovery is complete, the spores are counted under the microscope, with a Burker chamber by a Petri-dish count, and the suspension is diluted until an end suspension containing 10⁹ spores/ml is obtained.

For the dry recovery procedure, the surface of the culture is delicately scraped by a small steel spatula. The collected material is suspended with sterile water admixed with Tween 80 and the spores are counted as in the case of the wet method. The suspensions are frozen at -30° C. and then are stored at the temperature of -30° C. or -18° C., after the addition of a cryoprotectant, such as, e.g., glycerol (end concentration 10%). The suspension of spores remains alive also after a 1-year storage at -18°C.

Biological Activity

The observations performed during the growth of the plants raised from seeds treated with spores or mycelial cells of Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 or grown on a medium to which said microorganism was added, or whose roots were put into contact with said microorganism were as follows: the size of the plants showed a general increase, the roots were more developed, the plants had a larger number of leaves and blossoms, blossoming took place earlier and crop was larger.

Furthermore, the seeds treated with said microorganism showed a higher germination rate; and the scions of plants interesting for garden centers showed a better rooting.

Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 is a natural product which, when used as a phytostimulant, is harmless to warm-blooded animals and is ecologically safe, i.e., neither it, nor its degradation products alter or pollute the surrounding environment.

The interaction between Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 and the plant, which results in a modification of the vegetative conditions of the same plant, is presumed to take place at the level of the roots on whose surface and inside whose interior said microorganism electively grows and sporulates. In fact, the present Applicant was able to verify that said microorganism colonizes, and therefore plentifully reproduces itself on, the roots of plants originated from seeds, or grown on soil, to which spores or mycelial cells of said microorganism were added.

For exemplifying purposes, values of colonization of Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 on the roots of courgettes grown on soil treated with 2.5×10¹⁰ spores/liter of soil and on roots of sugar beets derived from seeds treated with a suspension in 1%-carboxymethylcellulose, were obtained at the dosage of 3.5×10⁵ spores/seed. The assessment of the microorganism on the roots was carried out according to the technique by Agate and Bhat (Basic Plant Pathology Methods O. D. Dhingra, J. B. Sinclair, CRC Press 1987), as modified below.

According to this method, the roots of the plants are collected, washed in sterile water and then homogenized in phosphate buffer solution at pH 7 containing 0.01% of Tween 80 or of another, analogous surfactant. 0.1 ml of homogenate is distributed on a Petri dish of 10 cm of diameter, containing 35 ml of an agarized broth such as Potato Dextrose Agar or, better, a medium denominated <<GAA>>, having the following composition:

    ______________________________________                                         Glycerol               20    g/l                                               L-arginine             2.5   g/l                                               Sodium chloride        0.1   g/l                                               Calcium carbonate      0.1   g/l                                               Iron sulfate           0.1   g/l                                               Magnesium sulfate      0.1   g/l                                               Agar                   20    g/l                                               ______________________________________                                    

Before being sterilized, the pH value of the culture medium is adjusted to neutrality. The medium is made selective by the addition of 100 mg/l of cycloheximide. After the addition of the homogenate, the Petri-dish is treated for 10 minutes at 110° C. and then are incubated at 28° C. for 7 days. At the end of the incubation time, the developed colonies are counted.

The values of colonization, expressed as <<colony forming units>> (CFU) per root, was as follows:

    ______________________________________                                                     CFU/ROOT                                                           ______________________________________                                         Courgette     8.7 × 10.sup.4                                             Sugar beet    5.0 × 10.sup.3                                             ______________________________________                                    

These values clearly demonstrate an intense colonization of the roots.

Treatment Method

Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 is generally used in the treatment of agrarian cultivations as <<propagules>>, i.e., spores and/or cells of vegetative mycelium capable of generating new colonies.

They can be formulated as aqueous suspensions, concentrated liquids, wettable powders, granulates, using inert vehicles constituted by either liquid or solid substances, or co-formulants, such as suspending agents, surfactants, stabilizers, adhesion-promoting agents.

With said formulates, the seeds, the soils on which the plants are grown--both in the seed-beds and in open fields--the soils for use in floriculture and in horticulture, the roots of transplantation seedlings and the scions of the plants interesting for garden centers can be treated.

So, for example an aqueous solution containing the desired concentration of propagules of Streptomyces can be used for the seeding soil.

The seeds can be treated (seed dressing), e.g., either by drenching with a carboxymethylcellulose-containing aqueous suspension of propagules, followed by drying, or the seeds can be mixed with powders containing said propagules, which powders are obtained, e.g., by causing aqueous suspensions of propagules to be absorbed, on inert supports in powder form, such as, e.g., talc and fossil meals.

The open-field treatments can be carried out by using aqueous suspensions of the microorganism as such, or adbsorbed on support granulates such as, e.g., dried and granulated peat, bentonite and sepiolite.

The application doses are not critical; in fact, it is only necessary that the spores and/or the vegetative mycelium are present in a large enough amount to come into contact with the roots of the plants and hence colonize them.

In general, for exemplifying purposes, the following doses may be used:

in the treatment of seeds, from 10⁶ to 10³ propagules per each individual seed;

in the treatment of the soil for seed-beds, from 10⁷ to 10.sup. propagules per liter of soil;

in the treatment on open fields, from 10¹¹ to 10¹³ propagules per hectare.

EXAMPLES

The following Examples illustrate the present invention.

EXAMPLES 1-3

Tests were carried out to assess the biostimulating activity of Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 on the growth and production rate of various types of horticultural plants.

In all tests, a commercial substrate for horticulture was used, which consisted of neutral peat of sphagnum, homogeneously treated with an aqueous suspension of spores of Streptomyces NCIMB 40227, and was subsequently used to fill seedling pans having a 200 ml capacity.

The so treated soil was fed, according to the tests reported in Table 1, with 2.5×10⁸ or 2.5×10¹⁰ spores per each liter of treated peat.

Seven days after said application, seeds of tomato c.v. "Marmande", seeds of egg-plant c.v. "Violetta lunga [Long violet]" and seeds of courgette c.v. "Diamont" were seeded both in seedling pans containing said treated soil, and in seedling pans containing untreated soil.

The seedling pans were then placed inside a warm green-house to germinate.

The seedlings of tomato and egg-plant were removed from the seedling pans 30 days after the seeding, and courgette seedlings were removed 14 days after the seeding.

The aerial portion of an aliquot of the seedlings was weighed to determine their vegetative development; the residual seedlings were transplanted in the open field.

The data of vegetative development and the production data relevant to the crop of fruits obtained from open-field cultivated seedlings are reported in Table 4.

The crop data reported in Table 4 are the statistic result of 5 repeated tests carried out on samples of 8 seedlings each, on field plots selected according to the randomized-blocks scheme (Leclerg Leonard Clark: Plot Field Technique, Burgess Publishing Company).

                                      TABLE 4                                      __________________________________________________________________________                            Weight of the                                                                          Crop                                                                   aerial portion,                                                                        kg of fruits/                                                                         Number of                                Example                                                                             Species           g/plant plant  fruits/plant                             __________________________________________________________________________     1    TOMATO                                                                         Untreated soil    1.19    4.02                                                 Soil treated with NCIMB 40277                                                                    1.89    5.32                                                 (dosis 2.5 × 10.sup.8 spores/liter of peat)                              Percent increase  59      32                                              2    EGGPLANT                                                                       Untreated soil    1.79           10.13                                         Soil treated with NCIMB 4.0277                                                 (dosis 2.5 × 10.sup.8 spores/liter of peat)                                                1.91           12.56                                         (dosis 2.5 × 10.sup.10 spores/liter of peat)                                                   2.03          12.74                                      Percent increase  7   13  24     26                                       3    COURGETTE                                                                      Untreated soil    1.04           50                                            Soil treated with NCIMB 40277                                                  (dosis 2.5 × 10.sup.8 spores/liter of peat)                                                1.17           56.00                                         (dosis 2.5 × 10.sup.10 spores/liter of peat)                                                                 67.50                                      Percent increase  12             12 34                                    __________________________________________________________________________

From the data reported in Table 4, it follows that when a soil treated with spores of Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 is used for the seeding, seedlings are obtained which show an improved vegetative development, compared to seedlings obtained from untreated soils, and that said seedlings, when transferred to the open-field, yield a larger amount of fruits, compared to seedlings obtained from untreated soils.

EXAMPLE 4

Dressings to sugar beet seeds with spores or mycelial cells of NCIMB 40227 lead to an increase in saccharose production yield. Brown peat neutralized with calcium carbonate, dried at 90° C. in an air-circulation oven, was ground and sterilized at 100° C. for 30 minutes. To said peat, an aqueous suspension of spores of Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 was added and a formulation in powder form containing 2×10⁸ spores/gram was obtained. Single-germ, not-candied sugar beet seeds were treated with 10% of said powder-like formulation. With said treatment, each seed received 3.5×10⁵ spores.

Three field tests were performed in different localities: Bagnacavallo (RA), Ponteterra (PR) and Belfiore (VR). The tests were carried out according to the randomized blocks scheme. The surface-area of the soil plots used for each test is reported in Table 5.

                  TABLE 5                                                          ______________________________________                                                   NUMBER OF       SURFACE-AREA                                         LOCALITY  TEST REPETITIONS                                                                               OF THE PLOTS                                         ______________________________________                                         Bagnacavallo                                                                             8               40.5 mg                                              Ponteterra                                                                               5               45.0 mg                                              Belfiore  5               17.2 mg                                              ______________________________________                                    

At harvesting time, production was assessed, and the amount of saccharose obtained compared to that obtained from treated seeds from untreated seeds was determined; the results are reported in Table 6.

                  TABLE 6                                                          ______________________________________                                                     TAP ROOT    THEORETICAL                                                        WEIGHT      SACCHAROSE                                                         g/ha    Δ%                                                                               g/ha     Δ%                                  ______________________________________                                         BAGNACAVALLO                                                                   Untreated seeds                                                                              876.72            142.31                                         Seeds treated with                                                                           887.57    1       147.63  4                                      NCIMB 40227                                                                    PONTETERRA                                                                     Untreated seeds                                                                              950.01            132.91                                         Seeds treated with                                                                           968.52    2       146.93 10                                      NCIMB 40227                                                                    BELFIORE                                                                       Untreated seeds                                                                              1318.41           152.68                                         Seeds treated with                                                                           1380.02   5       179.84 18                                      NCIMB 40227                                                                    ______________________________________                                    

The size of tap roots of celeriac increases when the roots are treated with Streptomyces NCIMB 40227. An open-field test was carried out on a soil which contained 52% of sand and 5.2% of organic substance. Before the transplantation, the roots of celeriac seedlings were dipped in an aqueous suspension containing 10⁶ spores/ml of Streptomyces NCIMB 40227.

The tests were carried out according to the randomized blocks scheme. Each test was repeated 5 times. Each time, plots of 25 m² of surface-area were treated. A preliminary survey, one month before harvesting, set forth a higher uniformity of development of the vegetative part and a deeper green pigmentation in the soil plots on which treated plants were transplanted, than in the plots in which untreated plants were transplanted. At a later time, the analysis of the size of the tap roots at harvesting time confirmed that the differences observed in the aerial portion of the plants corresponded to even more considerable differences in tap roots of treated and untreated plants, with a net weight increase of marketable product (Table 7).

                  TABLE 7                                                          ______________________________________                                                    AVERAGE WEIGHT OF TAP ROOTS                                                    GRAMS        Δ%                                               ______________________________________                                         Untreated roots                                                                              960                                                              Roots treated with                                                                          1430           49                                                 NCIMB 40227                                                                    ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE 6 Treatment of potato tubers

The test was carried out on open field, with sand-rich (containing 60% sand) and organic (4.5% organic substance) soil.

Before being seeded, potato tubers were dipped in an aqueous suspension containing 10⁶ spores/ml of Streptomyces NCIMB 40227. The tests were carried out according to the randomized-blocks scheme. The tests were repeated 5 times. Each repetition was constituted by plots of 25 m² of surface-area.

At harvesting time, potatoes were subdivided according to size classes, to which the relevant commercial value corresponds. The plants deriving from treated tubers yielded a higher percentage of tubers of the most valuable class from a commercial view point, i.e., having a size within the range of from 80 to 120 g (see Table 8).

                  TABLE 8                                                          ______________________________________                                                    PERCENT FREQUENCY OF                                                           ACCEPTABLE SIZE   Δ%                                          ______________________________________                                         Untreated tubers                                                                            6.2                                                               Tubers treated with                                                                         8.0                 29                                            NCIMB 40227                                                                    ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE 7

The soil on which chicory is seeded, when treated with Streptomyces NCIMB 40227, provides better developed seedlings for transplantation and increased, weight of the tuft at harvesting time. The test was carried out on a sandy soil (96% sand) in the typical region of <<Chioggia>> chicory.

Thirty liters of commercial soil was homogeneously treated with 4 liters of an aqueous suspension containing 10⁶ spores/ml of Streptomyces NCIMB 40227. Four days later, the soil was used to fill cube-shaped seedling pans inside which 1 seed of chicory per cube was seeded. The seeds planted in the seedling pans were then allowed to germinate inside a warm greenhouse for 25 days, in parallel with seeds planted in seedling pans filled with untreated soil. Then groups of 10 plants were cut off at the basis and weighed (Table 9).

                  TABLE 9                                                          ______________________________________                                                  WEIGHT                                                                         OF PLANTS' AERIAL PORTIONS                                                     grams/10 plants                                                                               Δ%                                               ______________________________________                                         Untreated soil                                                                            5.64                                                                Soil treated with                                                                         6.32             12                                                 NCIMB 40227                                                                    ______________________________________                                    

The residual plants were transplanted in open field, by transferring the portion of soil contained inside the seedling pans inside a hole made in the soil. Ten plots of 15 m² of surface-area each were formed. Each plot contained 150 plants. The tufts harvested at the end of the test were individually weighed, after being cleaned for the market (Table 10).

                  TABLE 10                                                         ______________________________________                                                   AVERAGE                                                                        WEIGHT OF MARKET-READY TUFTS                                                   GRAMS        Δ%                                                ______________________________________                                         soil        412                                                                Soil treated with                                                                          446            8                                                   NCIMB 40227                                                                    ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE 8

If the roots of strawberry plants are treated with Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 at transplanting time, plants with a better vegetative development are obtained. The test was carried out inside cold tunnels. At transplantation time, the roots of the plants were dipped for 10 minutes in an aqueous suspension containing 10⁶ spores/ml of Streptomyces NCIMB 40227. The tests were carried out according to the randomized-blocks scheme. The tests were repeated 5 times. Each repetition consisted of plots of 25 m² of surface-area. After 60 days, the vegetative development of the plants was assessed and the plants were subdivided into 5 classes, according to their vegetative development. In the class with the best vegetative development, differences were evidenced in favor of the treated plants (Table 11).

                  TABLE 11                                                         ______________________________________                                                      CLASS FREQUENCY                                                                              Δ%                                            ______________________________________                                         Untreating roots                                                                              24                                                              Roots treated with                                                                            34              42                                              NCIMB 40227                                                                    ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE 8

Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 favours the rooting of scions of interesting plants in the garden-center sector.

100 scions of Chamaecyparis obtusa nana gracilis and 150 scions of Picea excelsa nidiformis were dipped in a suspension containing 10⁵ spores/ml of Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 and were then placed to root in sand on a warm bed in an atomization-greenhouse. After 6 months, the number of roots per each scion was assessed, together with the average length of the scions and the percentage of rooted scions (Table 12).

                  TABLE 12                                                         ______________________________________                                                   CHAMAECYPARIS OBTUSA                                                           NANA GRACILIS                                                                  ROOTS    ROOTS                                                                 NUMBER   LENGTH     ROOTING                                                    No.  Δ%                                                                               No.    Δ%                                                                             No.  Δ%                              ______________________________________                                         Untreated scions                                                                           4.33           5.82       60                                       Scions treated with                                                                        6.75   56      8.08 39    80   33                                  NCIMB 40227                                                                    ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 13                                                         ______________________________________                                                    PICEA EXCELSA NIDIFORMIS                                                       ROOTS NUMBER  ROOTING                                                          No.     Δ%  %       Δ%                                  ______________________________________                                         Untreated scions                                                                            2.71                35                                            Scions treated with                                                                         3.25      20        40    14                                      NCIMB 40227                                                                    ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE 10

Streptomyces NCIMB 40227, when used in the rearing of ornamental plants, increases the vegetative development of said plants, thus increasing their commercial value.

25 ml of suspension containing 10⁷ spores/ml of Streptomyces NCIMB 40227 was used to homogeneously treat 2 kg of commercial De-Baat soil for floriculture. Said soil was allowed to incubate inside a greenhouse for 30 days, then was mixed with 500 liters of another soil in which plants of cyclamen were subsequently transplanted (200 plants of 5 varieties). After a 70-days growth in greenhouse, the blossom-bearing plants were counted (Table 14).

                  TABLE 14                                                         ______________________________________                                                       PERCENTAGE OF                                                                  BLOSSOMING PLANTS                                                                Untreated  Soil treated with                                   CYCLAMEN VARIETY                                                                               soil       NCIMB 40227                                         ______________________________________                                         Tosca           52         72                                                  Ophelia         84         96                                                  Finlandia       56         60                                                  Oberon          16         44                                                  Orpheus         24         44                                                  ______________________________________                                    

At marketing time, i.e., 120 days after the transplantation, some assessments indicative of plant development were carried out (Tables 15-16).

                  TABLE 15                                                         ______________________________________                                                             PLANT                                                      PLANT HEIGHT (cm)   DIAMETER (cm)                                                      Un-     Soil        Un-    Soil                                                treated treated with                                                                               treated                                                                               treated with                                VARIETY soil    NCIMB 40227 soil   NCIMB 40227                                 ______________________________________                                         Tosca   14.0    15.0        33.4   33.8                                        Ophelia 13.9    14.3        29.5   28.7                                        Finlandia                                                                              13.5    12.2        29.4   27.4                                        Oberon  12.5    14.4        26.7   28.1                                        Orpheus 14.8    15.9        28.1   29.0                                        ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 16                                                         ______________________________________                                         NUMBER OF           NUMBER OF                                                  OPEN BLOSSOMS       TOTAL BLOSSOMS                                                     Un-     Soil        Un-    Soil                                                treated treated with                                                                               treated                                                                               treated with                                VARIETY soil    NCIMB 40227 soil   NCIMB 40227                                 ______________________________________                                         Tosca   3.0     3.4         5.0    5.4                                         Odhelia 2.6     4.4         5.0    7.1                                         Finlandia                                                                              3.0     3.4         5.0    5.4                                         Oberon  3.0     2.9         4.6    4.6                                         ______________________________________                                    

By using the soil-treatment technique used for cyclamens, a test on rhododendron was also carried out. At marketing time, the plants were subdivided into classes and after assigning to each class its commercial value, the increase in proceeds was computed (Table 17).

                                      TABLE 17                                     __________________________________________________________________________                                SOIL                                                             UNTREATED     TREATED WITH                                                     SOIL          NCIMB 40227                                         DIAMETER                                                                              IT. LIRE/                                                                            NUMBER OF     NUMBER OF                                           (cm)   PLANT PLANTS  IT. LIRE                                                                             PLANTS  IT. LIRE                                    __________________________________________________________________________     20/25  6000  72      432,000                                                                              50      300,000                                     25/30  8000  28      224,000                                                                              50      400,000                                     Total proceeds per 100 plants                                                                       656,000       700,000                                     Increase in proceeds                44,000                                     Percent increase in proceeds       6.7                                         __________________________________________________________________________

EXAMPLE 11

An earlier blossoming and an increase in the vegetative development were observed when rooted scions of Pelargonium zonale were dipped in an aqueous suspension containing 10⁵ spores/ml of Streptomyces NCIMB 40227. After the dipping treatment, the scions were transplanted in a cultivation soil consisting of sand, soil, sterile recovered soil, peat, calcium carbonate and <<Nitrophoska>> (a soluble fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium).

To pot the plants, pots of 14 cm of diameter were used. The number of days elapsed from transplantation until blossoming were recorded, together with the average diameter of the main stem of the plants at their marketing time (Table 18).

                  TABLE 18                                                         ______________________________________                                                   DAYS BEFORE STEM DIAMETER                                                      BLOSSOMING  mm       Δ%                                        ______________________________________                                         Untreated scions                                                                           55.35         34.65                                                Scions treated with                                                                        51.06         36.65    6                                           NCIMB 40227                                                                    ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE 12

By dipping seeds of African marigold in an aqueous suspension containing 10⁵ spores/ml of NCIMB 40227, plants are obtained which show a longer blossoming period, starting 120 days after the seeding time (Table 19).

                  TABLE 19                                                         ______________________________________                                                  BLOSSOMS                                                                       PER PLANT    BUDS PER PLANT                                                    No.     Δ% No.       Δ%                                   ______________________________________                                         Untreated seeds                                                                           3.0                4.0                                              Seeds treated with                                                                        3.3       10       5.5     37                                       NCIMB 40227                                                                    ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE 13

Seed dressings with a suspension containing 10⁵ spores/ml of Streptomyces NCIMB 4027 improve the germination rate of the seeds. Seeds of petunia were dipped in the suspension for some seconds, and were then allowed to dry in air for a few minutes, before being sowed in a commercial peat-rich soil. The emerged seedlings were counted after a in 50-day growth in a greenhouse (Table 20).

                  TABLE 20                                                         ______________________________________                                                   PERCENT NUMBER                                                                 OF EMERGED PLANTS                                                                               SWEET                                                         PETUNIA  Δ%                                                                               BASIL     Δ%                                  ______________________________________                                         Untreated seeds                                                                            21.43              46.63                                           Seeds treated with                                                                         60.71      183     67.86   44                                      NCIMB 40227                                                                    ______________________________________                                    

Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments, it is evident that many alternatives and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, the invention is intended to embrace all of the alternatives and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The above references are hereby incorporated by reference. 

We claim:
 1. Streptomyces <<NCIMB 40227>> or a biologically pure culture thereof. 